Buying Local for the Holidays

I love getting work from Jamie Leary, over at Grid Magazine. He always gives me tough assignments to wrap my head around and make an image that follows suit. In the december issue of Grid Magazine, I worked on an illustration about the writers holiday dilemma.

When he was younger he was able to go all over the world and buy "exotic" gifts for his friends and family at home. Once he got alittle older with college loans, a house payments, ect, he wasn't able to be a gift searching globe trotter anymore. So the article takes a turn in pushing the idea of finding things you buy locally as being more "exotic" than things you buy from a store. In most cases when you buy something from the store, it probably has traveled 3000 miles before getting to you. Most things these days aren't made in America, or Philadelphia as the article points out. So by buying something made in Philadelphia, makes it a little more special.




After a few roughs were submitted, Jamie choose the sketch of two presents sitting next to one another. One in holiday packaging, and the other as if it was mailed. Jamie made the suggestion of adding luggage labels. I was pretty nervous when designing the labels, since I have never did anything with type for an editorial job, and was in fear of the piece falling a little flat by using type to push an idea. In the end, it benefited the piece, and my anxiety lifted. I added alittle bit of screen printing zips on the sides to frame the illustration, which gives it a nice finished touch.



Huge thanks to Jamie over at Grid Magazine! - http://www.gridphilly.com/