© 2010 BluePencil ultd.
email: tansley@bluepencilu.com
(480)-818-2241
BluePencil Ultd. is the online portfolio of Steve Tansley. Steve is a published illustrator and an accomplished designer. His nimble approach, considerate application and transparent communication create immediate value for all his partners.
Steve's work has celebrated many honors including two Prisma Awards, Phoenix Addy Award, and a Summit Creative Award for Excellence in Design. He is a member of the AIGA and is the co-creator of Goodfences, a hilarious web comic. Steve is the Experience Director at Rhino Internet solving branding and usability problems.
He lives in Scottsdale with his wife, six kids and dogs Spartacus and Sookie.
Click here visit Terf Wars.
Terf Wars is Arizona's newest and coolest mobile NERF War company! They set out to make birthday parties more fun and what they came up with is the ultimate in outdoor fun. I was asked to create a mark that would capture the excitement and intensity of their epic Terf War battles. They now offer three unique game experiences. Capture the Flag Single, Dual and Marines and Buggers (Infection). If you have or know a little one's birthday that is coming up or you want to throw a company event Terf Wars is the newest in outdoor fun. Give them a call.
Click here to read the interview.
I was recently asked who I would interview if I had the chance for Design.org. I reached out to one of my favorite illustrators, David Lanham. If your not familiar with David's work head over to DDO and read the interview. He has a wonderful view of the world and his work. He is also an all around great guy!
Click here to view full size.
I was recently asked about my inspiration for my cartoon, Goodfences. How did I come up with the characters and the design? What influenced the choices I made in the styling of the characters? I thought it might be fun to share some of those early works that sparked the aesthetc for the strip. This is an early illustration that helped me embark on that journey. I hope you enjoy it.
Click here to visit the site.
The latest "green" project I was asked to lead on is the new site for the Nevada Power Company, NVEnergize. Branded and directed by the pros >Rain Visual Strategies and developed by the mega-talents at Rhino Internet Solutions, I was brought in to illustrate and design the new website that features the roll-out of the new "Smart Meters" that are popping up all over Neveda suburbs. The site is fully-interactive and educational experience for all the residents of Neveada and will prove to be a great tool in their roll-out.
Click here to visit the site.
Eco Hatchery's new product to help families become even greener is the new "Light Bulb Finder" mobile phone app rolling out for Droid's then iPhones's. I was asked to design the internet and mobile website to help promote this exciting new mobile app. With the talented help of obrienonline.com this site should be a boon for Eco Hatchery.
Click here to see a bit more.
Every artist I think wants to try their hand at this. The challenge is great and so many artists have captured this epic event with great success. This is my modest attempt. Click on the image to see the full view.
Click here to see a bit more.
These are samples from an upcoming indie film shot in Canton, MS. The production company will be releasing more information about the film as it becomes available.
Click here to see a bit more.
Guerilla Werks Segway Tours has asked me to help in branding a line of shirts with a little character, their guerilla to be exact. This is a first step in a series that will be on value-added merchandise at their Huntington Beach store at the end of the pier. "Seg's On The Beach" is how they phrase it.
Click here to see a bit more.
The Clay Orchard is a new logo mark created for the ceramic art of Elizabeth Tansley, my lovely wife. Her pottery is considered "functional stoneware". I set the type in Gotham as it's a clean and modern. The orchard leaves and bowl represent her location as living in Scottsdale AZ surrounded by citrus trees and our children. The packaging will be just as appealing drawing from the "orchard" metaphors. Click to see more on facebook.
Click here to see a bit more.
The Vintage Project is a project I have been tinkering with for some time recently. It takes 4 discontinued models of VW's and celebrates their logos and their body styles. The Hebmüller, the Rometsch, the Binz and of course the Type I Beetle (still in the works). I hope to make these available as prints and tees. You can see the rest of the series on facebook. Don't forget to "Like It", if you like it. Thanks.
Solatube Corp asked me to help in creating their first retail space wall mural, the final design will be displayed in their new store in Palo Alto Californina. With the help of their Creative Directors Bill Mohler and Laura Goike we finalized a design that best suited the space. This is one of the first sketch options for the space done on the Intuos drawing tablet.
Click here to see a bit more.
I just unpacked my new drawing tablet that was recommended to me by @dlanham and I have to say how blown away I am. The flexibility is amazing and the feeling is very fluid. I've only spent 2 hours on it and I feel like I'm getting the hang of it. I'll post more updates as I create them but here is my first digi-piece I am working on.
Click here to read the article.
It's been several busy months so far this year keeping up with my webcomics and with my new role as one of the Lead Creatives at Bulbstorm. Scottsdale Air Park News asked me to pen an article relating to branding. It was fun to talk about several clients I've had the pleasure to work for. I hope you enjoy the article.
Click here or on the image above.
If you happen to go to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona you'll see a new exhibit called "The Berlin- Agave Yucca Forest". I was fortuante enough to create the signs that surround the new forest area. The forest boasts some large Joshua trees and other rare desert plants.
Click here or on the image above to visit the site.
The latest site I've designed launched this month. Direct Diabetic Supply redesigned their brand with the help of Thinking Caps. From their new logo and marketing material I pulled aspects into the new interactive design. It supports their brand nicely.
Click here or on the image above to visit the site.
I launched a new site this month with the great group at All Stars Helping Kids. Eric Scoggin a professional footbal player contracted ALS, but before he pased away he established the foundation Eric's Vision to help fight ALS and educate people about the disease.
Click here or on the image above to view the full illustration.
The Calling; Knights of III, is a proposed book idea with writer Michael Sortino. A faith-based series of superheroic adventures set during a time of Primordial Upheaval. Some of the ideas if fleshed out could take on some challenging but rich illustrations. I'll keep you posted on the progress.
Click here or on the image above to view the interactive displays (hint: zoom in if you have Safari).
If you happen to see these characters driving down the road in Tempe Arizona then you are seeing my latest design and illustration project. The City of Tempe along with Nicomia Design and Fabrication partnered with me to create ERIC (The Education/ Recycling Information Center. My task was large but simple, aid with the creation of 2 characters that will
promote the initiative. And then, assist with graphic development for the interactive stations and information panels that will engage children and adults while they learn about the virtues of reducing, reusing and recycling.
Eric the desert tortoise and Wishbone the pack rat take the kids through an interactive journey thanks to the wizardry of the folks at Nicomia who brought this environment to LIFE!. This traveling museum-style information center will
be a centerpiece to Tempe's long celebrated efforts of becoming Arizona's top "Green" city. Look for it at local events in downtown Tempe and be sure to take the kids, they will learn alot and have a blast too!
Click here or on the image above to view the interactive displays (hint: zoom in if you have Safari).
One project that has been an ongoing process of exploration has been helping to create the brand identity for Lumisano, a company that will introduce products that help improve our lives. I'll reveal more as I am allowed and as the brand further develops. They have a keen and exciting view of the world and how we can all live better.
I'll love keeping up with my sketchbook. Here are some samples. Click here or on the image above.
Thank for the feedback in February, a rousing din went up that I should vectorize my cartoon of the "Master Cheap" rather than pen and ink. I like the result as well. Best of all my kids got a kick out of it! Cheers.
Installing this week is the new Banner Thunderbird Children's pediatric ward. The newly designed children's ER will be using illustrations that I developed. The illustrations help celebrate community service workers and areas of local interest. The area has 11 separate rooms for healing and examination, a greeting area and nurses station. I'll post photos when they become available. It should prove to be a positive enriching environment for the kids and staff.
This month the boys at Lunchbox Collective are developing an extrodinary website that will allow users to collectively contribute to the creation of a recurring comic strip. This has never been done before and the results should be amazing to watch. I developed the logo and peripheral icon set as well as the first pack of characters that will launch this month. I'll be sure to be tweeting this when it finally goes live. Sign-up and start creatin' at Cartoonity!
I'm not too sure how I want to approach this illustration. Ink or vector? Each option has it's advantages. Maybe both?
On this historic day of change, I had to change my twitter page. My VW was a perfect vessel for this new administration of 2009. Enjoy and send me a tweet to tell me what you think.
A return to the Kono camp. This time the widget machine has gone awry. Can you count how many widgets have been popping out of the widget machine all day?
Kono is at it again. This time we are in the toy room, how many toys can you find? Twenty? Thirty? You count.
Evil has a new archenemy! This is a cover that I illustrated and designed for Author Michael Sortino. Teddy Gyros, Kid Vampire Slayer, Book One will be available soon.
Kono Magazine continues to challenge kids minds with more ways to "Find the Objects". On this ultimate Map we need to find all the weapons and power-ups.
A recent illustration I made for Kono Magazine depicts a mad scientist in his lab, several creatures and objects are hidden throughout. This was a fun one to make.
Late last year I was asked to assemble some ideas that would result in a corporate mark for Eco Hatchery. A unique new green company in that they not only provide you information on how to reduce your home carbon footprint but they also supply you with a "weekend action pack" to get you started! It's a ripe time for them to introduce a product like this to the general public. The design experience was very fulfilling as I worked in tandem with the principles to reach this desired logo and package design. Look for them online, I'm sure they're gaining speed even as you read this.
I was commissioned to create a logo that depicts the late John Paul the II for the Resource Center in Phoenix, AZ. I chose to use the typeface "Charlemagne" for it's permanence and also "Copperplate Gothic" as the secondary typeface. I have seen Copperplate used everywhere and have never tried it due to its overuse. However, I still love it. I'm glad for this choice as it anchors the logo nicely.
Kono Magazine continues to have me illustrate the "Find The Object" section. This issue was the "April Fool's" edition. This is the "Fool's Factory". See if you can find the jack-in-the-box, key, whoopee cushion, and deck of playing cards. And, of course the word, "fools."
I was asked to illustrate the "Find The Object" section for Kono Magazine. This illustration supplements their "Green- Eco Friendly" issue. Along with trying to find Jono their character which you already see, kids need to find a recycle logo, wind and paper! This will be a regular installment for Kono. I'll share more as the months unfold.
Evo Swim School asked me to illustrate an icon set for each of their swim classifications. These will be used in their upcoming ad campaigns. Each class of swimmer will have their own animal. The tots begin with the starfish and move up in rank to dolphin. These were challenging but in the end, colorful and fun.
This is a glimpse of some of my professional and experimental work.
Logos
Illustration
Interactive
Environmental
Storyboards
Sketchbook
Home
Alot of people ask me about my car.
It's just plain fun. Read about it here.
Here are some take home MAC icon sets, enjoy.
These are people in my life who have
had a major influence upon me and my
work. I owe them much.
