If you’re looking for something delicate and free flowing, it should just be a few deliberate strokes. This ventures dangerously close to a wad of pubes. Definitely potential in these, though.

If your aim is something beautiful, I would spend some real time developing the most simple of these concepts and simplifying it.
Edit: Pardon; I didn’t see the above post prior to posting. I have nothing to add.

> a wad of pubes

Wow. That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever read/seen on this forum. LOL! Not to be mean or anything (sorry) but after reading that I had to see for myself! Funny. Sorry. But seriously...I think it’s beautiful in a doilyish way, which I also consider delicate. Nice work. How to improve it?...I concur: Simplify.

“a wad of pubes”

I LOVE that band.

lol. oh no. I will put some more time into it. Thanks for the help

Alright. I tired to simplify. Is is getting any better or do you guys think that it still needs anymore simplification? Thanks!

Cambria

That’s looking clean but also a tad busy. The internal hollow swashes are the strongest part of your image but they’re being severed by their stems. Perhaps moving the stems off to the sides of them could work? Doing with the third one might be your best bet. They’re all looking good though.

It looks like less of a tangle now...a little less. I’m of the less-is-more camp.

A little of this depends upon how you want this to work. My first thought was, “Hmmm...neat idea. Is this part of some new the-artist-formerly-known-as-Prince-inspired trend out in California? Is it something an artist develops for him or herself, or is there a potential market for these sort of things among tragically wealthy and bored metrosexuals?” Either way, to simplify or not to simplify is all a matter of style.

On the other hand, if it’s something you’d like to appear more like a typographical element, like a letter of the alphabet (which to me would be really cool and very difficult), then it’s got a long way to go. It’s far from Caslon or Helvetica!

The mark is being developed for me. It will be used on my stationary accompanied with my name. The mark has evolved from my initials into an icon. I put some more work into it. The feedback is helping. Thanks.

Strip down to its skin as much as possible. Even the simplest of forms can still make a mark, or more so I would say. Less is more.

I think you should start pairing a few of these with your name. Your icon and name will need to work together. The font you ultimately select will help you determine what other refinements your mark may need.

You’ve made nice progress, keep it up.

Given that you are using this like a seal, complicated imagery is possible. My main warning is that you watch out for it looking too much like a swastika.

I would agree you need to see how you are going to integrate your mark with your name.

At the risk of seeming like a pube-wad fangirl, I actually like one of the ones in the first image - on the second row, on the right. It had an open free-ness missing in the revised designs.

What did the image look like when you had your initials more referenced?

I have to agree with the pube-wad-loving Ms. Budwig inasmuchas the open freeness is missing...or, in other words, it has become less delicate. And I couldn’t agree more with the suggestion to pair it with a typeface for comparison and refinements. You have simplified by making it heavier, and I don’t think that’s necessarily necessary.

Koppa, you realize that you’ve doomed all google searches for my name? ;)

LOL! Sorry. I really should stay away from this sort of thing...these discussions. My recklessness does not lend itself to giving a lot of thought to the ethics of discussion forums on the internet and repercussions of off-hand comments. I’m doing my best not to participate, but sometimes I just get so dang bored! Really, I mean no harm. Just trying to have some fun. And hopefully it will help illustrate your sense of humor...a good thing to have.

Ha, Koppa no worries. I’ll be entertained if this ends up being the first result for “Budwig”, although I don’t know how my relatives will feel.

Cambria - where did you go? I’m dying to see your latest!

haha. Sorry I am working on it. I took a break from it to see if I could get some new revelation. I get something up. Thanks for keeping me in check.

coming in late to this one, but the mark has not really succeeded in the free flowing category for me. organic i get, systems in nature and the like, but free flowing? looks too contrived. even more so in the later versions with big blocks of fill and a heavy-handed geometry. the mark feels like you really know how to work illustrator very well. take a step back from the computer and see what happens when you use your hands. i think that will open a whole new world for this mark and help take you in a better direction for free flowing/organic

w|m

I agree with Will! Then again, I always agree with the advice of “get off the computer and try drawing it.”

here is what i have again. thanks for the interest

while it’s pretty and makes a nice pattern, i don’t think it achieves your free flowing requirement. but i think you have gotten it to where you wanted it to be from the start so hats off. it’s not ugly, just really controlled

w|m

I really like the two leftmost and the upper rightmost images. Of course, it all depends on how they’re used. Please update with a link if you make a website based on these!

awesome.....no website yet...but i will keep you up dated...and will get some attachment type on this thing. ha

When I saw your first attempt from 19 February, I immediately thought of the interlocking rings symbol on Led Zeppelin IV:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Zoso.svg

Just saying.

Good luck! :)