I set out on this little voyage wanting to create something that was a representation of myself and my interests. I have many hobbies, and as I thought about them all I saw a common theme among a fair few of them - Creation. Most of my hobbies are of the creative type, so it was just a matter of choosing which one. I had recently started leather working and figured there are plenty of tools to choose from for my designs. I chose my favorite: Round knife, thread, wax, awl, compass, pricking iron, burnisher, stitching groover, precision knife, pricking wheel, skiver, and a mallet. I wanted them to look somewhat rustic, but no texturizing, just a lot of wood and iron. With a course selected I set off.

The next step after making my decision on what direction to go was to start bringing ideas to the surface. Like a miner I began chiseling out rough ideas, putting shapes onto a page that looked halfway decent. I started with only a few tools, trying out different shapes of handles and blades. I was especially intimidated by the thread sketch I had, thinking I would have to make so many lines and figure out how to position each individual strand, which now I see was a ridiculous thing to think. From these measly sketches I would start to bring my dreams into reality.

And so came my first draft. I was not in love with my choices and was almost starting to regret my choice of tools. Looking back on these I am glad I didn't stop here. After recieving critiques from my client and coworkers I set about righting my wrongs and making these shapes look more cohesive, make more sense proportionately and have a consistent light source for better shadows.

My next draft was getting there. I had a few shapes that just did not make any sense and were unrecognizable. I had thought making a block of wax wouldn't be too hard, but I wasn't sure how to texturize it. My pricking iron looked more like a funky fork. I still had many changes to make to the shadows and highlights.

Draft number whatever I still wasn't getting the shadows right, but I did start in a better direction for my thread. These all still had a aways to go. I needed to keep in mind the shape of my tools and how the light would pour over each of them. I was feeling a little discouraged about not having the best knowledge about perspective and shadows, and it was hard to visualize, but I did my best.

And so came my final product. I added the last few tools, did my best to keep a consistent light source, thought about the shapes and how the shadows would look and stuck to that thought process. Once I had more of a direction things began to come together. I set out with the intent to make leather working tool icons - I have accomplished this by sticking to a process of working and reworking ideas, receiving feedback, applying feedback, and just trying my best to work with my limited knowledge of adobe illustrator. I am proud of what I have made.