Graphic Design

Watkins graphic design students win recognition at the 2010 national addys 

Congratulations go out to Watkins graphic design students for receiving national recognition at the American Advertising Federation’s conference in Orlando. Well done! Competing with top design schools across the U.S., the following students won Silver Addys at the 2010 National Student ADDY Awards: Andy Young for his Secrets of N.I.M.H. book series, Michael Korfhage for his Student Addy Poster design, Stephen Jones for his Hasselblad brochure design, and Ligia Teodosiu for her Little Red Riding Hood illustration. 

For a complete list of winners, including the professional categories, please go to the AAF website.  

Featured at left is Stephen Jones’ winning brochure design for Hasselblad.

This spring, Nashville’s Vice Mayor, Diane Neighbors, and the Chamber of Commerce’s Jeff Hite were invited to present the 2010 Music City Hot Chicken Festival poster as an assignment for Watkins’ Illustration 1 class. Given a few weeks to “chew on it,” fourteen students presented an impressive body of work, and after much deliberation, Ryon Nishimori’s design was selected.

Asked about hot chicken, Ryon exclaimed: “Hot Chicken is messy, intense, down right dangerous, and I can’t get enough of it.” 

In addition to the official poster, four runners-up’s designs will be produced and made available for purchase at the July 4th event.

Featured at left: Ryon Nishimori’s design. Featured below: Andy Gregg, Matthew Pickett, Adam Agee, and Michael Cribbs.

For the complete story, check out "The Politics of Hot Chicken" section of the website.

congratulations design fighters for creating a Killer senior exhibition!  

Design Fighter-Portfolio Attack was a spectacular success as it brought out top industry professionals even while AIGA’s Tenn Show occurred the same night (where Watkins Graphic Design students won top awards). The senior exhibition placed Watkins directly within Nashville’s forward-thinking, design-focused district. Partnering with Terrazzo with the support of Zeitgeist Gallery’s Lain York, and Plaza, Lithographics, Skyline Exhibitor Source, Lellyett & Rogers, Athens Paper, Anode and many others, Watkins presented one of its strongest groups of graduates to a sophisticated audience of design thinkers, movers and shakers. The turnout was impressive, enhanced by an inventive satellite exhibition of the seniors’ personal art…work that informs their graphic design. It was such a great night. And thankfully, the rains held off until the following morning. 

The event was designed as a purposefully “green” exhibition by choosing Terrazzo, a LEED certified building, and produced Watkins’ first FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified senior show poster. Putting “re-use” to work, the seniors borrowed used aluminum printing plates to create walls defining the exhibit space and utilized end of roll web press paper to build a projection screen. The plates and paper were returned and recycled after the event. 

Design Fighters: Lindsey Armstrong, Brian Dennis, Andy Gregg, Valerie Hammond, Luke Howard, Janna Laxton, and Christopher Martin.

WATKINS’ LIGIA TEODOSIU CONTINUES WREAKING HAVOC IN LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL COMPETITIONS, WINNING A GOLD AWARD FOR ILLUSTRATION AT AIGA’S 4TH ANNUAL TENN SHOW.

 

Ligia Teodosiu received five awards, including three Honorable Mentions, one Silver, and a Gold Award for her captivating "Little Red Riding Hood" illustration series. Stephen Jones added to Watkins’ success at AIGA’s 4th Annual Tenn Show with two Honorable Mentions for Brochure, and Package Design.

Tenn Show, the state’s most prestigious juried design competition, was open to professionals and students throughout Tennessee involved in designing visual and creative communications in print, motion graphics, packaging and seven other categories, plus student and pro bono work. Over 200 AIGA members and non-members participated and their work was judged by a panel of creative professionals from each Tennessee AIGA chapter. (from AIGA’s website)

Isle of printing and Olive & Sinclair partner with watkins to celebrate 125th, and to feed art enthusiasts’ chocolate And art addictions. Success!

To help celebrate Watkins College of Art, Design & Film’s 125th anniversary of Education and the Arts, Nashville’s beloved Bryce McCloud at Isle of Printing was commissioned to produce an edition of 400 "Chocolart" bars utilizing student illustrations as limited edition prints wrapped around Olive & Sinclair chocolate bars. Art, Design, AND Chocolate…Brilliant! The work of graphic design majors: Matt Covington, Luke Howard, and Shelby Rodeffer, was procured, letterpress printed and signed by the illustrators for use as uniquely Nashville creations given to guests at Founders Day on April 24th. Yum! Fun!

(Above left: Shelby Rodeffer, above right: Matt Covington; bottom: Luke Howard)

REWARDING INTERNSHIPS: AN INTERVIEW WITH (MAY 2010 GRADUATE) ANDY GREGG 

Anderson Design Group internships are highly coveted by students across the country; how did you secure a spot in their studio? 

… I think what made ADG interested in my work was that I like blending the hands-on design/illustration and the digital. I also believe that having illustration skills was something that made me a good fit since illustration is an integral part of their design work, probably much more than most design firms.

Describe your typical work day at ADG. 

Everyday was different at ADG, but generally I would come in in the morning, talk to Joel Anderson or another coworker about the work I had completed the day before, and then work on one, two, or sometimes three projects that were in the pipeline. It was a fantastic feeling to know that they actually had enough faith in me that they would allow me to work on actual client projects. 

What types of projects did you work on?

…Definitely the crowning achievement was creating art for one of the Art & Soul of America posters. It eventually led to me designing many Art & Soul posters (3 featured above) once I completed my internship.

Describe the atmosphere of the studio.

The atmosphere of ADG was very laid back. Everyone was pleasant and fun to talk to, though as designers we did tend to fall into headphone-land while we were concentrating.

Did the internship live up to your expectations?

The internship absolutely lived up to my expectations (and them some). I had no idea and didn’t really think that I would be included in actual projects … It allowed me to build my confidence as to how I would actually function in a real work environment.

Did it change your perception of the industry?

It changed my perception of the industry in that the industry seemed more accessible than before. No longer were my modest goals foggy notions of working in an office somewhere, but rather very tangible and very achievable things with a clearly defined path to getting where I wanted to be.

Are you still in touch with ADG?

I’m absolutely in touch with ADG…I’m currently doing many of their new Art & Soul of America posters as freelance. For those that don’t know: the posters feature illustrations of different major cities from around the US, each done in a style closely modeled on design work from 1925-1945. It will eventually get me published nationally and for the time being it’s helping me pay for school. My decision to apply for an internship at ADG was the best decision I’ve made so far in my very short career as a designer.

What are your plans? 

What I do is currently contingent upon where my long time girlfriend, Alexis, chooses to go to grad school. We’re currently looking at living in Chicago, Boston, or New York, but we may stay in Nashville for her school and then move afterward. Wherever I go I would like to work for a creative design studio that allows me the fun I demand from work. I can’t imagine doing anything that doesn’t challenge me and that thusly isn’t fun/interesting.

Thanks Andy. Keep up the great work.

Graphic Design Students from Watkins College of Art, Design & Film continue their success at AAF’s District 7 Student ADDY Awards!

Nine Watkins students brought home 17 awards: nine gold ADDYs, seven Silvers, and May graduate Holly Mathews received a Judges Choice Award. Stephen Jones won three golds and two silvers. Students from 22 colleges in Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana were represented in the show. Watkins students won the most awards, overall, and more gold awards than any other school. Winners below:

Stephen Jones

GOLD: Manifique! Sheik Shaving Package (pictured above)

GOLD: Hasselblad Brochure

GOLD: Vigor Energy Systems Letterhead Package

SILVER: Vigor Energy Systems Logo

SILVER: Paint it Red Photograph

Ligia Teodosiu

GOLD: Ricola Re-branding Campaign

GOLD: Ricola Re-Branding

SILVER: Little Red Riding Hood Illustration 

Valerie Hammond

GOLD: Cheese Campaign

Adam Agee

GOLD: ADDY Poster

Holly Mathews

GOLD, and Judges Choice Award: X-Height Marks the Spot Poster

Andy Young

GOLD: The Rats of N.I.M.H. Book Series

Christopher Martin

SILVER: Sappho Fashion Design Logo

Michael Korfhage

SILVER: 2010 Student ADDY Poster

Andy Gregg

SILVER: Cats are Pretty Poster

Ryon Nishimori

SILVER: Harley Davidson Ad Campaign

Watkins’ Stephen Jones takes "BEST in SHOW" at AIGA-Nashville’s 6th Annual DISH: student design conference. Well done!

Graphic Design major, Stephen Jones, received the top honor at AIGA’s 2010 DISH Conference for his Artificial Flowers poster design. In recognition of his exceptional work, one of the event sponsors, IoStudio, sent him home with a beautiful 13-Inch MacBook Pro. Overall, the Stephen had five entries accepted into the competition, crossing disciplines to include branding, package design, brochure design AND photography. "Show off!" Watkins’ own Ligia Teodosiu had four elegant designs included in the competition. Ligia’s Hoot Publishing Company Identity package won Best in Branding. 

In addition to the awards competition, the conference included guest speakers, studio tours of Nashville agencies, and valuable portfolio reviews conducted by area design professionals. 

Watkins Students win 28 Awards at the 2010 American Advertising Federation- Nashville Student ADDY Awards. 

This year’s winners were chosen from among 486 entries from 9 colleges and universities in Middle Tennessee. Watkins won 10 Gold awards, 14 Silver awards, 2 Judges Favorite awards, and the Best of Show. Watkins student, Ligia Teodosiu, was the biggest winner with 3 Golds, one Silver, a Judge’s Favorite award, and Best of Show (Featured at left). Watkins’ Stephen Jones was next in line with 2 Golds and 4 Silvers. Check out the awards catalog, designed by Lindsey Armstrong, for a complete list of our winners.

Winners of the AAF-Nashville Student ADDYs compete at the District level next, against students from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

CMT’S “ONE COUNTRY” BILLBOARD DESIGNED BY RECENT WATKINS GRADUATE

Created during her 2009 fall internship, the billboard features Teela Shandess’ concept, design, and hands.  

Did you notice the GIGANTIC pair of heart-shaped hands promoting warm wishes from CMT over the holidays? It was featured on one of Nashville’s largest billboards located at the Broadway/West End split, right across the street from where Ol’ Jim’s been singing “Yippee, it’s Chevyland!” for about a million years. The outdoor board was designed by Teela Shandess during her fall internship with Country Music Television. After presenting three concepts to Jason Skinner, CMT’s off-air art director, the design pictured at left was chosen for its simplicity, graphic wit, and of course…the tattoo added just the right personal touch. Regarding her internship, Teela said: "Jason goes a million miles a minute, but I think he has to. There’s a lot going on upstairs for that guy and he has a very clear vision of what he’s looking for. He was always supportive of my designs. The deadlines would vary. Sometimes a project would come in that needed to be finished by the next day and other times, like the billboard, I’d have plenty of time to tinker around with changes. It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere; everyone there is a lot of fun and really easy to get a long with."

Poster design, and illustration series by Julian Baker selected for publication in CMYK* Magazine!

CMYK Magazine: Call For Aspiring Creatives is open to emerging artists across the globe. CMYK Magazine #46 will include Watkins’ own Julian Baker and his screenprinted Neanderpaul poster, plus Woodland Creatures-a series of four whimsical animal portraits. The issue is due out on newsstands everywhere in February 2010. “When it rains it pours. I am blown away by all this recent publicity! … Maybe someone will take notice.” —Julian Baker, Fall 2009 graduate

*A quarterly magazine with a reach of 70,000, CMYK Magazine is where creative directors, agency principals and art buyers recruit students and recent graduates at today’s top art-design schools: art directors, copywriters, designers, photographers and illustrators. 

The Dieline* and Lovely Package* spotlight Watkins graduate.

Another feather in the cap of graphic design graduate, Julian Baker…making Watkins proud. Helping the college grow its reputation for producing serious design students who compete successfully on a national level. Check out the links below for the complete story. Well done, Julian…go, man, go!

http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2009/12/student-spotlight-julian-baker.html

http://lovelypackage.com/?s=julian+baker&x=0&y=0           

*The Dieline is dedicated to the progress of the package design industry and its practitioners, students and enthusiasts. Its purpose isto define and promote the world’s best examples of packaging, and provide a place where the package design community can review, critique and stay informed of the latest industry trends…The Dieline has quickly grown into the most visited website on package design in the world, and has become the voice of the industry. —From the website.

*Lovely Package reaches thousands of people daily from over 200 countries…Our audience varies from design schools, designers, design& advertising agencies, manufacturers and packaged goods companies…With a very targeted audience and over half a million page views monthly.—From the website.

Congratulations seniors! 

On Friday, December 4^th, eight graphic design seniors treated friends, family, Watkins alumni, administration and faculty, plus industry professionals to a spectacular presentation of their final portfolios. Celebrating the culmination of their design school experience, the work was presented in an artfully designed exhibition space featuring larger-than-life paper airplanes soaring above a massive crowd. Exploring a forward-looking, uplifting theme of “Taking Flight,” the event was held at Rhythm and proved to be a memorable send off for the much-admired group. Check out the show website to view more great work.  

Designers pictured above, from left to right: Craig Gwin, Andy Young, Teela Shandess, Guy, Random Allen, Julian Baker, Holly Mathews, and Lydia Light. 

REcent graduate, Daniel Meney, juried into graphis New Talent Annual!

Spring 2009 graduate, Daniel Meney, has been juried into Graphis New Talent 2010. An international competition, Graphis New Talent Annual showcases the best international student work in Design, Photography, and Advertising. Daniel’s elegant design for 2B Sonoma Valley Viognier utilizes two bees as a thematic device to promote a varietal celebrated for its golden color, floral aroma, and honey-like flavor. Created as part of his final graphic design portfolio, 2B is a coordinated design campaign consisting of copy-driven banner ads (ex. "2B or not 2B is not a question.") for web usage, a combination mark, and package design.

"Graphis continues to be the standard for excellence. The New Talent Annual is an exceptional resource for some of the best talent coming out of today’s universities and design schools. It is a must have for anyone in this industry."

Adrian Pulfer, Designer & Instructor, Brigham Young University.

Cheers, Daniel!

National Addy WInners

National Gold and Silver ADDY Award winners were announced June 6, at the ADDY Awards Show during the 2009 AAF National Conference in Washington, DC. We are excited to announce that senior Teela Shandess won a Gold ADDY for her Dribbles Raingear packaging design, senior Lydia Light won a Silver ADDY for her Hope Clinic Ad Campaign and recent graduate Chad Sawyer won a Silver ADDY for his
New Growth Investment logo design.

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SENIOR SHOW, "Next in Line" - SPRING 2009

Graphic Design Seniors presented their work downtown at Rhythm on Music Row, Friday, April 24th to a packed house of friends, family and industry professionals. This year’s graduating class included Sean Wiliams, Daniel Meney, James O’Meara, Jamie Harper, Becca Carroll and Coley Horner. Check out photos from the stellar event on our Flickr page. And be sure to visit their show website to view their portfolios up close and personal.

Downloadable Illustration track Postcards

You don’t just draw here, you draw on the wisdom and expertise of others…

At Watkins you’ll get a serious immersion in the fine arts, arthistory, picture-making, typography and graphic design as well as acquire the business acumen needed to make a living doing what you love.

Download one or all of the new illustration postcards by clicking on the links below. Print them, collect them, share them or paper your walls with them…. whatever you do be sure to enjoy them.

Postcard One
Postcard Two
Postcard Three
Postcard Four
Postcard Five
Postcard Six
Postcard Seven
Postcard Eight
Postcard Nine

ILLUSTRATION CONCENTRATION COMES TO WATKINS COLLEGE!

This fall students majoring in Graphic Design will have the opportunity to concentrate in Illustration. We’ve developed a track of courses specific to the world of Illustration. Concentration Coordinator, Dan Brawner will assist the Graphic Design Department as it forges new creative frontier providing students with insight, education andtraining in the field of Illustration.

It’s Addy Season!!!! And WE have the winners…

The 2009 AAF Nashville Addy Awards were held last night. We’ll update this entry with more information and pictures as they come in but we thought we’d give you a list of the Watkins College winners:

Packaging
GOLD - Sarah Stanley for The Pinx "Look What You Made Me Do" Album Cover
SILVER - Teela Shandless for "Dribbles Raingear"
SILVER - Sarah Stanley for ShooShee Home Sushi Kit

Stationary Package
GOLD - Rebecca Carroll for Swank Modern Identity

Brochure
GOLD - Andy Young for Adventures in Sound
SILVER - Chad Sawyer for Brown-Forman Annual Report
SILVER - Teela Shandess for Lomography Brochure
SILVER - Kenton page - Silverado WInnery Brochure

Poster
GOLD - Julian Baker for Tin Pan South
SILVER - Andy Gregg for Vita et Scientia
SILVER - Andy Gregg for Cast Me If You Can Film Poster
SILVER - Lydia Light for O, Death
SILVER - Ryan Harmon for Josiah Erickson Gig Poster
SILVER - Craig Gwinn for Tin Pan South Poster

Direct Marketing
GOLD - Ryan Harmon for Watkins Senior Show Announcement
SILVER - Rebecca Carroll for Red Shoe Party Invitation

Single Consumer / Trade Magazine
SILVER - Amy Miller for Wrigley’s

Magazine Campaign
SILVER - Lydia Light for Hope Clinic Ad Campaign
SILVER - Craig Gwinn for Chase Ads

Cover Design
SILVER- Ryan Harmon for Railroad Novel Series Bookcovers

Editorial Spread
SILVER - Lindsey Armstrong for The Naked Face

Editorial Spread Series
SILVER - Sarah Stanley for Keyhole Magazine Cover, Issues 1-4
SILVER - Sarah Stanley for Etymologiae Magazine

Mixed Media
GOLD - Sarah Stanley for Mean Green Absinthe Campaign

Logo Design
GOLD - Chad Sawyer for New Growth Investments
GOLD - Ryan Harmon for Ex: Temporary Housing for Somestic Disputes Logo
SILVER - Sarah Stanley for Red Herring Tavern Logo

Illustration
GOLD - Lindsey Armstrong for At the Tenneessee Fair I Think of You

Alums WIn big at Addys!

The American Advertising Federation Nashville hosted its annual ADDY awards competition Saturday at Limelight in Nashville to recognize the best locally produced advertising. Winners go on to compete for regional and national awards in the industry’s largest competition.

2006 Watkins Graduate, Andrew Brooks works for The Buntin Group in Nashville and was awarded (with his coworker, Karinne Caulkins)  Art Directors of the Year Award for the John Deere campaign, “Fit for Any Field of Work”.

Graphic Design Alumni, Trent Tibodeaux recently won a Silver Addy for his work on our 2008 National Portfolio Day poster. This is the second year in a row that his poster design has grabbed the attention of the judges and awarded a professional AddyAward. In addition, Trent’s redesign of the Watkins College marketingparaphernalia won Addy’s last year as well. Trent graduated from theGraphic Design program in 2005. Check out his website for more great art!

Graphic Design Student, Julian Baker, selected for the NY Society of Illustrators Student Competition / ExhibitionFor the second year in a row, a Watkins graphic design major has been juried into the NY Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship Competition & Exhibition! Julian Baker’s “Man, Man” will be among the 125 works exhibited at the Society’s Museum of American Illustration from May 6-June 6, 2009. Visit Julian’s portfolio here.

This year’s competition received 5,598 entries from 80 schools, including student work from the School of Visual Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, Ringling College of Art & Design, Fashion Institute of Technology, Savannah College of Art & Design, Parsons the New School for Design, Maryland Institute College of Art, Minneapolis College of Art & Design, Art Center, and Watkins College of Art, Design & Film.

For nearly 30 years, the Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship Competition has awarded over $1.5 million to illustration students throughout North America and is considered one of the top student illustration competitions in the world.

Selected works will also be available for viewing on the Society’s website. www.soicompetitions.org (Last year’s accepted works can also be viewed on the site, including Luke Howard’s illustration: “At the Tennessee State Fair I Think of You.”)

You can also see more work by our Graphic Design students in our galleries! We have categories for both current students as well as alumni!

TIn PAN SOuth uses Student work to promote national songwriting festival

For the second year in a row, NSAI partnered with Watkins College to commission original artwork for their annual Tin Pan South Festival held in Nashvile.  Students in the Graphic Design department’s Illustration I class taught by Dan Brawner were asked to create a design that depicted what the festival was all about.

"It was a difficult job to choose one image from all the amazing work submitted by the students," said Director of Development and Tin Pan South Fesitval Director, Erika Wollam-Nichols. The selected piece was by senior Craig Gwin and will be used in all festival print and online collateral. "The illustration evokes a feeling of the intimacy and expectation. Our venues are small and audiences get to hear stories and remarkable songs - you never know what you’ll hear at Tin Pan South. The festival always has awesome moments, unique unexpected moments, and Craig captured that sense in this work."

Congratulations to Craig, a Nashville native who works with several companies and churches across the State with their graphics and websites to strengthen their message through design. Craig will graduate in 2009 with a BFA in Graphic Design.

Check out how Tin Pan South used Craig’s art here.

Watkins Graphic Design Alumni writing for The DieLine

Rachel Dunagan graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design from Watkins in December 2007 and is currently writing for thedieline.com - a leading design blog online.

In addition, HOW Magazine has selected Rachel’s designs for Drunken Goat Restaurant and Hair of the Dog Hangover Cure Kit as merit finalists for their International Design Contest. Both designs will be published in their April Issue.

Visit Rachel’s website.

Watkins Graphic Design Senior Show attracts record number of industry professionalS

Continuing a tradition of off-campus  exhibitions, Watkins graphic design seniors created a stellar event at ICON on December 5th. With Nashville’s skyline as a backdrop, seniors Sharon Crossman, Ryan Harmon, Kenton Page, Chad Sawyer, Sarah Stanley, and Greg Thompson presented their final portfolios to a crowd of 350+. In spite of freezing temperatures and city streets blocked due to Nashville’s annual Christmas parade, design professionals from Alcott Routon, Anderson Design Group, Anode, The Buntin Group, CMT, Dye Van Mol Public Relations, Emma, Genesco, Griffin Technologies, Locomotion, NSAI, Torne White Design, and Vanderbilt Marketing came out to view the exceptional work. Success!

“GREAT SHOW!” –Jason Skinner/CMT
“I’m here scouting for talent.”  –Bill Holley/The Buntin Group
“You’re doing a great job over there.”  –S.A. Habib/Locomotion
“This is fantastic!”  –Erika Wollam Nichols/NSAI
“So professional!”  –Jan Mattix/Dye, Van Mol
“Always the best event of the year.”  –Van Flescher/Watkins Film School
“I’m transferring to Watkins.”  –MTSU student

Special thanks to our friends at ICON, Plaza Art Supply, Lleyett & Rogers, Lithographics, Athens Paper, Rutherford
Studios, Exhibitor Source, Yazoo Brewery, Bud’s Wine & Spirits, students, faculty, friends & family that contributed to the show’s success.