T Shirt Design

T Shirt Design for a bar

Illustration and design by John Potter - Escape Key Graphics
Client: Boca Grove Golf and Country Club

This project evolved organically over time, beginning with a request from Boca Grove to create a graphite illustration for custom coasters. The goal was to reinforce the identity of a restaurant and bar with a distinctive, memorable image. After discussion, we chose an anthropomorphized iguana as the central character. I illustrated the iguana wearing a top hat and monocle, holding a glass of absinthe, with a praying mantis perched delicately on the rim. The result was whimsical, elegant, and immediately captured the client’s vision.

Following the success of the iguana, I was asked to create a companion illustration featuring a fox. This time, the fox sported a bowler hat and pipe, with a brandy snifter being pushed along by a spider, and a bee incorporated at the client’s request. These two illustrations laid the foundation for broader branding ideas. Drawing inspiration from Art Nouveau with a contemporary edge, I leaned into the playful, slightly surreal, Alice in Wonderland quality introduced in the first illustration. This led naturally to the development of a T-shirt design for staff, and ultimately, the restaurant adopted the name Fox & Iguana, directly inspired by the artwork.

For the T-shirt, I experimented with custom linear halftones, creating a wave-like black-and-white illustration. The design was framed by an orange nouveau style design incorporating the restaurant name and the requested bee motif, all set against a blue background. To further enhance engagement, I also created an animated version of the illustrations that could be used as an augmented reality feature for the shirts. This was accomplished using Adobe Photoshop, After Effects and Premier Pro as well as augmented reality software called EyeJack.

The project extended beyond apparel design to include menus and other branded materials, making this a true passion project. It is rare to work on a project where illustration, branding, and playful narrative come together so seamlessly, and this collaboration allowed me to explore both creative expression and practical design for a real-world business.