New AmericanMuscle Tank Tops

Apparel is still one of my favorite aspects of graphic design. To prepare for the AmericanMuscle Mustang show, one task we wanted to complete was to design additional branded apparel items that would be designed, proofed, printed and ready to be sold at the show. There was a lack in the tank top line for the women's apparel line, so that's where I started. 

The first design I wanted to do something classic, not get crazy with the logo. In the past we have typically only offered white tank tops, so I wanted to do change it up. For the first I chose a light heather gray so that it would still be a tank top you would want to wear in the heat. Personally, I am more inclined to purchase a gray top before a white one. Below is the 3-color logo on the front and one-color logo on the back.

For the second tank I wanted to do something on a very bright color. We currently don't offer anything too bright with the exception of a turquoise v-neck. The merchandising department ordered a few samples of bright tanks to get the bold color I was looking for. We ended up choosing a bright raspberry pink where I added a one-color white graphic to the shirt.

This logo I refer to as "turmoil" and was a lot of fun to make. I took the stacked AmericanMuscle logo had had a lot of fun messing around with textures. It's meant to look distressed and include some honeycomb textures. Finding the balance between a worn look and keeping it very legible was key.

Overall I believe these two tank tops make for great additions to the AmericanMuscle clothing line, especially the apparel for women. I look forward to designing more apparel for future events and promotions.

New AmericanMuscle Men's Shirt

Turmoil: turbulence, disorder, uproar. "Turmoil" is what I have decided to call this vector art I created for a men's AmericanMuscle t-shirt. This design was limited down to a two-color screen printed logo that has an overall distressed feel. It features shred marks, vintage textures and automotive honeycomb textures. The two gray shades of ink blend well and the knock outs create a third color in the design that reveals the dark gray shirt. 

In choosing the garment all along I was envisioning a lighter logo on a darker shirt. AmericanMuscle currently offers some black t-shirts and I wanted to stay away from another one. In addition, this shirt would be added to the novelty tents at the Eighth Annual AmericanMuscle Mustang Show August 13th. Typically the show is on a very hot sunny summer day and the thought of purchasing a black t-shirt is far down on my list. This slate gray makes for a good option and adds variety for the AmericanMuscle apparel line.

This logo was more experimental and essentially evolved as I overlapped textures and colors and patterns within Adobe Illustrator. Experimental logos that develop through creativity is one of the greatest aspects of design. Needless to say this is one of my favorite designs I have created.

AmericanMuscle Youth Tee's

In preparation for the Eighth Annual AmericanMuscle Mustang Show that will be taking place at Maple Grove this Saturday, August 13th, we wanted to add to our apparel line for mens, womens and youth to have more variety and more branded clothing designs for attendees to purchase. 

The AM brand recently added a script font to the style guide and I thought using it in a youth design would be a perfect starting point. The first design below is a girls shirt. The cut is specific to girls and features a two colored design on the front.

The second design was geared more towards boys but would be appropriate for either girls or boys. The shirt is a standard youth cut on a heather gray featuring a single color shredded vector design.

The TDSC Spring/Summer Line

The Throttle Down Speed Co. Spring/Summer clothing line began as a very broad concept. We knew we wanted to make a larger collection than we ever had before. The goal was to make some Throttle Down Speed Co. items that were very specific to the brand, a few flat track-specific designs and some general motorcycle related apparel that would appeal to all riders and enthusiasts. Personally, I wanted to include designs for both men and women while picking quality shirt and tank top canvases. It all began in my sketchbook, selecting garment types from our printer.

Another goal with this collection was to offer more than one color version for each design. We were inspired by several apparel companies that already offer these options and find a way to display them efficiently on their websites. We also set out to accomplish a way to show all designs at first, but show color options on each product page.

Eventually these designs were put into action and sent to the printers to test and receive sample garments. After some trial and error, we finally turned our conceptual pieces into real printed apparel items.

Above showcases primarily new designs sketched out, as well as former designs. A few above have not made it to the printers or our store for several reasons. For example, the draw string bags are still something we hope to add to our collection, however, the timing did not work out with that one. The pink shirt on the top right, though, will not be printed due to design cuts and the decision to only offer the best designs.

Once we approved all of the samples, we were officially ready to host the first Throttle Down Speed Co. photoshoot with all of the new (and previous) designs to perfect our website. Most of the photos were indoor studio shots, however, we were fortunate enough to shoot a few outdoor lifestyle shots like shown above. Once the shoot was completed, clipping and retouching were the first priorities on the list and then we could promote our brand new collection.

Above are the 15 brand new designs that we launched and are for purchase on Throttle Down Speed Co.'s website. See the full collection here: throttledownspeedco.com/collections/spring-summer-2016. This collection is definitely something that we are truly proud of at TDSC. A lot of hours were put in, and we appreciate everyone who takes the time to check it out. I look forward to more designs and collections in the future. The hard work surely is worth it.