Soon to appear on a Mack truck doing short to medium hauling in Washington and Oregon is this logo I designed for a long-time client. He is a unique man, and the only person I've ever known to have simultaneous careers as a commercial airline pilot and a medical doctor. What was next on his bucket list? To become a truck driver with his own big rig. And, as an appreciator of applied artwork, his intent was to customize his tractor/trailer. Because most of what I've done for him over the years is custom calligraphic work on paper, it did surprise me that he contacted me to see if I would be interested in his next bucket list foray.

Artwork with the technical qualities that allow it to be reproduced at enormous sizes is best executed as a vector-based image. This I did, using Adobe Illustrator. Still somewhat green in my experience with this software, I did encounter my fair share of learning curves but this was all worthwhile. Originally inspired by a Cuban cigar box graphics, I designed an imaginary tobacco farm on the bay near the Cuban city of Cienfuegos ("one hundred fires"). My client had a lot of say in what is depicted in this image. Everything was drawn within the program except the bottom line of information which is set in a font. The lettering was inspired by the cigar box design from early in the 20th c.

The "before" picture of the truck with its owner and the signage expert. Check back here in a couple of months for the "after" shot. The tractor and trailer will be painted a deep, dark green before the signage is applied.