Combining illustration with product packaging (part 1/2)

From sketch to final product

Hello everyone! I hope you are all well and safe. The weather here hasn't let us rest; we've had a lot of damage due to Storm Kristin, which left many cities looking like a war zone, with winds exceeding 170 km/h, it’s heartbreaking 💔

As promised i’d like to share with you two illustration and packaging design projects I did last year. This is an area that personally appeals to me, as i have a degree in Design. From the first sketch to the final product, both projects were for the same company. It’s very rewarding to know that, after the first project, they contacted me again for another one a few months later. I thought it would be interesting to share it with you all of the process.

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I will divide this ‘leaf’ into two parts, each part a project, so that it doesn’t become too long.

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So, let’s start from the beginning.

One of the first things I do is discuss the idea with the client. It’s important that we’re on the same page so we can move forward with a proposal that aligns with the client’s needs, thus optimizing our time. But they always left me free when it came to the creative part.

Salicornia Beer Label

• Client lines: “ the Salicórnia as the main element, but also having references to our region, houses in Costa Nova and references to Castelo de Vide, houses in the Alentejo region where the Barona is from.”

Before starting with sketches, I ask the client for additional information that might help me, in this case some examples of labels from the company that produces the beer, so that there isn’t a break in graphic design language. Then I do in-depth research on the subject. This phase is very enriching, since I learn a lot from each project. After this i start to sketch.

First rough sketches (backstage)

When I send the first proposal to the client, I always include a text about the concept behind the sketch(es) with some reference images for context. Here I already send some color sketches, mostly in colored pencil, as we are in the first phase of validating the proposal, it doesn’t make sense to send color studies. At this stage, the important thing is to show the client the idea and not the final result.

After an initial proposal, and a meeting, we decided to move in a different direction, while still maintaining some initial references.

Salicornia Beer is a partnership between two companies. Considering they are from different regions, it made perfect sense to reference both the creator and the producer in the concept. Thus, the “palheiro” (haystack) of Costa Nova, the Aveiro region where Salicornia is harvested (for all that don’t know Salicornia is a plant, native to coastal salt marshes, that naturally has a salty taste) and the Alentejo hills with their cork oaks, where it is produced, appear. In the center, in the foreground, is the Salicornia with the blue background on the right, alluding to the Ria de Aveiro and serving as a background for a beautiful quote about this partnership.

After the final sketch is approved, we move on to the watercolor painting. Here, dimensions must be taken into account because, as you can see in a final product, we need to ensure the painting is proportionate to fit the defined space. In the last sketch above, you can see that the location of the various information data that would appear on the label was already being planned.

Before the actual painting, I send the final, unpainted drawing for validation.

With the drawing approved, i finally move on to the painting.

After the painting, there’s a editing process of the illustration (I usually photograph rather than scan), image processing, and graphic design. It’s at this stage that real mock-ups are made for evaluation, checking colors, text size, and element placement.

After some revisions with the client, the final artwork is approved and sent. In this process, from the first sketch to the final product, there are numerous stages, but it’s very special to see the finished product.

I hope you enjoyed it, please let me know in the comments. I’ll be back soon with part two.

Stay well and enjoy life and nature,

Sandra 💚