Whimsical flamingo illustration for a rack card
Artist, Illustrator, Designer: John Potter - Escape Key Graphics
Client: Flamingo Gardens
For the latest information on Flamingo Gardens botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary please visit their website at FlamingoGardens.org
About Flamingo Gardens
To many South Florida residents, Flamingo Gardens is a pleasant place to spend an afternoon. But it is much more than a botanical attraction. It is also a respected wildlife sanctuary that provides permanent care for injured and non releasable native animals. The combination of beautiful gardens and genuine conservation work makes it a special place.
The Project
This project was a rack card for Flamingo Gardens. If you are not familiar with rack cards, they are those single page brochures you see in racks at hotels and rest stops, especially in Florida. Tourists grab them to figure out what to do that day.
The client came to me wanting to liven up their existing rack card. They left the whole redesign to me, which is always a nice position to be in. I treated it more as an illustration project than a design project. The previous version had relied heavily on photography. It looked like an ad for adults where they had just swapped in photos of kids and replaced seminar listings with birthday party information. It did not feel like a place a child would get excited about.
The Concept
I knew the illustration had to include a flamingo. That was obvious given the name. I also wanted to make something more kid friendly and fun. I made a few sketches and settled on a concept that is kind of a Carmen Miranda tribute. Carmen became a cartoon flamingo, and instead of fruit, the flamingo wears a birthday cake on its head. Complete with candles and a sparkler. Even a parrot in the background wears a party hat and looks like it is enjoying the celebration.
I chose a goofy font for the title text to keep the energy playful. The informational text below is handled in a more measured and sober way. That contrast lets the illustration do the work of attracting attention while the details stay readable.
The whole illustration was created as vector art in Adobe Illustrator. That keeps everything sharp whether it prints small on a rack or enlarges for other uses.
Your Project
If you need an illustration of a flamingo celebrating with a cake on its head, or any other illustration at all, please contact me. I have done this work before and I would be glad to do it for you.
VECTOR ILLUSTRATIONS:
(Created using Adobe Illustrator)
VECTOR ILLUSTRATED MAPS:
PORTFOLIOS
- Illustration Portfolio: Start here for custom illustration and book covers. You can also browse illustrated maps and architectural rendering.
- Fine Art: I offer original paintings and drawings, including my Custom Halftone Series. You will also find mural work here.
- Graphic Design & Motion: View my graphic design portfolio. After that, explore motion design and animated illustrations.
- Maps by application: I create illustrated maps for boat shows, resorts, marinas, real estate, transportation, transit and parking, towns and cities, parks, and wayfinding.
- Additional project types: I also produce cover illustration, vehicle and vinyl wraps, proposal renderings, and street art.
- Illustration methods: My techniques include vector, isometric and axonometric, painting, black and white, GeoData maps, overhead maps, and custom halftones.
- Software portfolios: I work primarily in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, SketchUp Pro, and Adobe InDesign. For motion projects, I use Premiere Pro and After Effects. You can watch my demo reel here.