Cobra
Graphic Interpretation
Logomark
The objective of the creature mark project was to create a unique and simplified graphic interpretation of a creature. The mark should be able to communicate the traits that are essential to that creature whether they are physical or not. My chosen creature was a cobra. I selected this creature for its iconic attributes that contributed to a very interesting and unique silhouette, as well as intangible traits that I thought would be interesting to implement into a graphic interpretation.
The final mark showcases a cobra and it’s unique silhouette brandishing its fangs and tongue ready to strike. The posture showcases its authority while the rest of the snake is coiled in a protective and defensive manner.
Research
My research focused on a number of different aspects of the cobra, the main one being its hood, which differentiates its silhouette compared to other snakes. other notable features I wanted to capture and study were the overall posture of the cobra. other attributes include the jaw fangs and tongue and the way that they all interact with each other from various perspectives, mainly from a front view and side view.
Sketches
I sketched a variety of different perspectives of the Cobra but I really wanted to develop a way to render out the hood in a way that would be instantly recognizable. That came in the form of a lot of front-facing sketches while trying to render out the aw and fangs was more effective from a side profile, as it showed the unhinging of the jaw. I also found the silhouette of the side profile to be weak in comparison to the front-facin,g especially with the hood. I also felt that the front-facing view would also allow me to add the snake coiling over itself, ready to strike forward.
Refined Sketching
My iterations focused on two different perspectives of a cobra. The front view showed the silhouette in its most prominent form and displayed all the attributes that I wanted to communicate except for the jaw. The side view did provide a way to showcase the jaw and the way it almost unhinges; however, the hood silhouette was significantly weaker and made it look like just any other snake. The things were also more prominent in this side view. I ended up doing two additional variants with a front three-quarters view that just seemed a little too complicated and photorealistic.
Digital
Once I had settled on the direction I wanted to take the mark, most of my time was spent figuring out how to translate the hood and adding some sort of shadow and shading through some sort of pattern. I also experimented with shading the entire face of the snake and just having the eyes visible. As well as shading the coils and tail of the snake in various ways Final
My final mark has a diagonal pattern that acts as shading for the hood and leads into The center of the snake which has the Jaws portion shaded with the tongue and fangs being visible. The eyes are given a very angular shape to further this aggressive trait.