Railyard Recordings Graffiti Logo
Brief from client
Create a Graffiti "Wildstyle" logo for the brand to be used on certain merchandise, yet mainly for screen printing, on shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, women's tanks.
This is for a now on hiatus Techno record label focusing on sounds reminiscent of the early rave days and warehouse parties with a new, more intellectual twist, yet still with roots.
The crew is/ was a bunch of guys from the Triborough area. They wanted something semi clean but still rugged looking.
NOTE: The Little R/R Circle with slashes through it like a RailRoad sign was not part of my design or my work - but REQUIRED to be added by CLIENT - against my suggestions.
Note: on some the "Recordings" handstyle is centered or absent altogether and there were a few "special" versions with black on black.
So it was there but only visible close up.
Create an authentic Wildstyle of the "RailYard" part of Railyard Recordings, then digitize and prep for use for screen printing.
Create black and white version
Yellow and Black
White and Black
Red and Yellow
Red and Black
Also prep files for specific merchandise and banners/ posters.
Logo should be in "Wildstyle" yet legible enough to distinguish letterforms.
This was hand drawn then digitized in illustrator.
This is almost exactly what the black hoodie looked like,
9 Comments
Interesting how no one critiques this.
This is a tough one for me to critique. My first impression is that it is pretty cool and interesting to look at. I do think it would work for what you are going for. I would love to see the sketch that got you here.
I find it hard to read, but wildstyle isn't meant to be legible. I'm not sure if the 3D is helping you, and I'm personally not a fan of yellow as a main color. Is it based off of an online graffiti font?
No, I've been doing graffiti for over 10 years so it is 100% original lettering.
With wildstyles they 80% of the time have a 3D background to help the letters pop off the surface.
Yellow was the choice of the Record Label owners for the main hooded sweatshirt. It did come in a variety of different colors. As listed above.
If you are not used to reading graffiti blow the image up and take it letter by letter, then you will see it all come together.
I made it legible enough for the audience to read - but still from a distance have the allure of "hey what does that wildstyle say."
It's not your traditional logo, but since it was used as such and plastered over shirts and banners It became a logo! Try what I said and see if it helps your graffiti reading skills.
I'm sure I have the original pencil work somewhere.. I'll try and dig it up.
Didn't really think you'd want to hear it, but ok... I hit my first car over 40 years ago and this such a common style that it comes across as what a white, middle-class marketing manager from Iowa would think graffiti looks like. And even then, all the hard edges and very mechanically precise, even strokes kill that bit of graffiti vibe. Instead of making the label look underground or street alternative it looks artificial or corporate trying to be up in the urban. I do like the railroad crossing sign. RXR is a good play on Railway Recordings and could be cool if executed well.
It's kinda tough to be really graceful and execute a "street" style when the client is pushing for legibility and the screen printer is crying about stroke width.
every thing had to be digitized to a certain weight for screen printing.
BTW: the mechanical look is due to it being a Techno label. This is not hip hop..
If this is a techno label and not hip hop, I'm not sure the message comes across.
Have you seen who is taking over the techno scene? xxxTentacion, (however garbage he may be as a person), Snail House, In Love With A Ghost, Jubilee, Basstracks, etc.
This style doesn't vibe with the current scene at all. It doesn't really vibe with the techno scene in general. I rarely saw styles like this in 90s hip hop, let alone techno.
Overall, as a logo, I see this as being overly complicated and at different sizes this will become illegible.
The commercial techno scene sucks these days. Yet there are some really good dudes, like Surgeon and Regis that still rock it.
That's why I listen to Industrial Hardcore. much more creative. Lenny Dee and the ISR crew started throwing Hardcore parties again in Brooklyn which are awesome.
That is the name, that's what they wanted. Don't know what more to say. Might not be the "hottest" style - but it is legible and that was an issue in more ways than one. If you catch my drift.
Do you write?
Wouldn't call Snail House and In Love With a Ghost commercial. They're definitely not industrial, they're definitely soft synth, but they make some pretty great music, along with Rhodz, Hyper Potions, etc/
But even Surgeon used an incredibly clean logo. In fact Hello Oslo in 2009 was very minimal, almost emulating Swiss Mod.
I mean, its their business, it is what it is. I think canning the 3D look, and putting more differentiation in your strokes could give this a better feel.
Not that I was referring to them and you are correct, they are not acts that would headline a commercial US rave (EDM festival) whatever you want to call it, Not sure I would consider their music techno in the same sense as Surgeon either. Definitely soft synth. Not my thing. But cool that you like electronic music. If your interested in industrial, you can try Rude Awakening, The Outside Agency, Tieum, Void Settler, KRTM.
Stroke differentiation is a nice idea though.