Rational

For my brand I've chosen to do Tuatara beer, so of course for my character/mascot I've chosen to do a tuatara. Tuatara beer is a New Zealand made brand with ideals tied closely to the 'do it yourself' attitude New Zealanders are known for. Tuatara beer embodies this in its design of raw home made strength, and i tried to portray this in my design. I've tried to include using strong lines to accentuate shadows and detail but still maintaining a simplistic style that is relevant to the brand.

Tuatara beer is considered a more gentlemanly, upper class beer though, so a rugged 'do it yourself' character would not have suited, so I... suited him up. A top hat and a suit and a bow tie (because bow ties are cool) made this tuatara more than just a common thousand year old lizard. The design is targeted to appeal to a more classy type of person. A person who can regularly purchase Tuatara beer per say, instead of your average poor student. I think of Tuatara beer not as a 'lets get drunk' beer but more of a 'lets have a chill drink with some good company and conversation' beer. A much more relaxed, less rambunctious beverage, and i believe I've managed to portray this in my design.

As for the background of my final, the colours are taken directly from a standard Tuatara label design and the texture is a rough sackcloth. I tried to be careful about not making it too rough, lest it star to draw away from the classiness aesthetic.

All done, lets print these babies off.

Wipe that smug look off your face boy

Dat dope ass swaaaag

The Illustrator inside me

Thats supposed to be a beer he's holding there. 

Yes its a bow tie. Bow ties are cool.

Mucking around with hat angles bro

 Putting the hops on his hat instead bro. problem is this could be difficult to portray, so i might stick with the wreath around him but more in a circular shape, like a medal.

 First illustrator muck around. kits looking good, if a little simple, but i don't wanna make it too complicated now, it needs to be easy to read even at tiny scale. i love his bow tie too.

 And this is just another angle of him being all stoked with his beersie.

Thats Mr Doctor Professor Tama

The gentleman look is something I'm really enjoying! With the hops wreath around him and his respectful demeanour, Tama is truing in to quite the sharp lizard man. Not sure about the monocle, though it does suit him, better than moustaches suited him. that cheeky upward look, as if he's better than the rest and he's aware of it but he won't mention it because he still has a touch of modesty that his Führer drilled into him as a child because his family is wealthy and his grandad was a terribly arrogant man and tamas Führer doesn't want him or his son to be like grandad. 

Also sorry about the Führer parts. its my dads nickname so the computer keeps replacing d a d with Führer. its kinda cool

The Lizard Gentleman

The Gentleman is now the direction i want to take Tama into. Straight, clean and crisp, he is a chivalrous, respectable chap. Who drinks beer.

 This one in particular, the juxtapositioning of animal with class.

 And then theres this guy. Look at that face! and that pipe! and that moustache!

Tama the Maori