NEW COIN: wolf song

1.6k · July 21, 2010

I've been doodling some ideas for a coin for GCF 2010. I went to college to become a wildlife conservationist specializing in wolves. It's a long (not really) story how I ended up in computer science, but needless to say, wolves have always held a special place in my heart. I fully plan to sneak off to northern Minnesota around GCF and go to Ely and check out the wolf pack up there.

Anyway, first draft art. Still tweaking.

Will be trackable.

2.2k · July 21, 2010

Ooo, I very much like it. I assume that the trees in the background will be semi-raised? It's one of those nice and simple designs that is very elegant (and sweet). Will the tracking info be engraved/stamped into the edge somehow? If not, here's a suggestion: you could put the tracking code under "twin cities" and then wrap the "track this song at www.geocaching.com" (or whatever wording you want) around the moon, like a halo.

Love the all lower-case. Awesome. : )

If you have AI, make sure you send this file to the mint with all the lines "expanded" (don't know if you've got AI). This coin has a really nice sketchy feel and you just have to get the mint to preserve the line quality as it is! : )

2k · July 21, 2010

Wow, how very Farley Mowat

I like the shape, and the back of the coin is cool too but the sky needs something. Are you going to do it in a dark blue sparkle or have some stars put in?

1.1k · July 21, 2010

Man, I wish I could make it to GCF! I GOTTA have tis coin! Someone want to grab me one ? hehe

9.8k · July 21, 2010

I like it. I see lots of cool possibilities with the back using pearl and glow inks.

July 21, 2010

I'm just howling... I hope I will be able to get one (at least).

July 21, 2010

Very nice looking coin! I hope I get some time to do some shopping.

July 21, 2010

I agree with the comments about the sky needing "something" and AG's reference to pearl and glow enamels. Very good start!

I would pay homage to your biology roots and include the scientific name somewhere...maybe on the side if you wanted to preserve the drawing as-is and limit text? If you are thinking Gray Wolf, Canis lupus would be appropriate, in italics or a nice script in keeping with the rules of scientific nomenclature!

Now that I'm thinking, and this is off the cuff totally, the sky area might be nice for some facts about wolves, their ecology/conservation. Not sure how familiar you are with some of the National Parks coins, but a few of them have some information about the park that was a nice complement to the coin. Let me know if you're interested and I can snap a picture of one of mine...

Great start, anne!

July 21, 2010

Looks like you are on a roll for another nice coin.

Cant wait to see it at GCF.

1.7k · July 21, 2010

TALLY HO!!!

I'm in when they become available!

That's one good looking coin.

July 21, 2010

Cool one! I love the back.

3.6k · July 21, 2010

Another very nice concept and design.... can't wait to see how it pans out.

1.6k · July 21, 2010

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

The trees on the back will be full raised and then recessed for the dark blue, so I am thinking translucents. Moon will of course be glow!

I am considering doing a constellation (maybe the big dipper since Minnesota is The Star of the North? Not sure) and possibly incorporating a crystal into the constellation somehow.

I love the idea of putting the canis lupus on there! What a great idea. Penny & Kona, I'd love it if you took a picture of what you mean by incorporating the facts.

Jackal: I am using AI, I will look for the option you're talking about. I want to clean up the trees on the back, but otherwise keep the sketchy style of lines.

Pearlescents are an interesting option I hadn't considered that might also be cool if I change the trees to all be full height.

Lots of great ideas everyone, thank you!

1.6k · July 21, 2010

Oh, I also have a request in about using the geocoinfest 2010 on the coin, as I seem to recall there are some rules about doing so (and needing permission). So that part may end up not being in the final design.

8.8k · July 21, 2010

WOW!!!! I love wolfs too! they are amazing animals!!! there are amazing stories from the ancient times or from nowdays, with wolfs and humans!!! Lovely.. lovely animals!!!

I recently read a story about a Spanish guy who lived with wolfs.... I think it was during the civil war in Spain, and he was a 5 year old child! His family was very poor and they gave him to a shepherd who needed somone to look after the sheep! The child was taken to the mountain to live and guard the sheeps and the shepherd would visit him to bring food etc! Unfortunatelly the shepherd died soon and the child was left on the mountain! He was completely alone and grow up away from civilization! One day while he was out (he lived in a cave), he heard a strange noice! He went close the the area and saw that there were some baby wolfs there! He cut some meat he had in pieces and throw there so the babies will not die! suddently the mother wolf appeared and beat his hand!!! He was scared and left immediatelly! the next morning he heard a noice close to his cave! He saw the mother wolf in the opening of the cave and he thought that she was going to attact him! She didn't! She was there to say I am sorry! How she did that? She left a piece of meat in front of the man!!!! From that time he and the wolfs came closer, they accepted him in the family and they lived all together!!! The wolfs were wild, ok???

after some years other men found the guy and took him with force (he didn't want to leave) to make him civilized! he didn't like what he saw in the city and how men were treating eachother.... he prefered the wolf ways! Now he is old and civilized (he didn't even speak good and he was sent to school!) but many times he goes to sleep in caves on the mountain! the story is true! I do not remember the guys name but there is going to be a movie about his life! probably a spanish movie! while he was there in the scenes, an other guy brought some wolfes that were semi wild for the movie! The wolfs saw him and went straight to him, the smelled him and then they started playing with him!!! The owner of the wolfs couldn't even believe his eyes! It was the first time his wolfs were doing something like that!!!many times he was afraid of them too! and the wolfs were not the same that the spanish guy knew, ok? I do not know if I can, but I will try to find the name of the guy!

And of course you know stories like Remus and Romylus... the founders of Rome.... who were raised by a female wolf....

Anne...

Your design anne is fantastic!!! Will the moon glow?

In the design... I have a small idea... but I do not know if this is already done in an other coin!

I see empty space in the sky on the back... will you put the track at geocaching.com there... and the tracking number... or you are planing to put that on the edge?

How about ... on the back side to put a rock on the right side to look like a mountain, a timy wolf figure (in black.. like a shadow..), make the trees a little bigger (I forgot... the rock will be as a font behind the right tree.. and will end where the ear is...maybe you can use the line of the ear as the top of the rock... ) and the moon to be at the place where the eye should be... in glow!

Now.. the wolf I added... will look at the same direction as the whole wolf head coin will look..... how about that?

This doesn't mean that I do not like your design, right? I love it!!!

8.8k · July 21, 2010

hmm... seeing the design again... you could put a tiny wolf singing... on the ear.... on the back side of the coin and it will look like it is a rock too!

So the rest of the design will not change... only the wolf will be added!

Constellation??? wow!!! amazing!!! if you manage to put a tiny crystal there too.... oh boy! I am starting to fall in love with the coin already!

Edited July 21, 2010 by GATOULIS

July 21, 2010

I guess I'd better find some things to sell, because I have to get one of these. I've been waiting for a wolf coin and this one is awsome. (I'm designing one of my own but it's much different. I'm struggling with a few things on it, but I'm not ready to share yet, because it's not like I can afford to mint it anyway.) I'd have to have yours even if the name was different. But since my little one's geoname is Wolf's Song I really have to have one for our collection, which will be his someday. Beautiful coin. I'd like to see the moon a little bigger. I love those one's when they are low on the horizon and seen to be 10 times the size they are once they climb into the midnight sky.

Beautiful coin.

July 21, 2010

LOVE THIS COIN.....The sky area could have the lupus constellation in it!

2.2k · July 21, 2010

Jackal: I am using AI, I will look for the option you're talking about. I want to clean up the trees on the back, but otherwise keep the sketchy style of lines.

I especially love the trees. : )

Here's how to do it: duplicate the lines you want to expand (I always have an extra layer, hidden, where I keep copies of everything I mess with, so if I want to get back to it, I can without Command-zing my life away). Then, select the copy (all your lines should be selected now) and select "Expand" on the "Object" menu. Click [ OK ] and you're done. If you expand all of your text to paths, too, then you generally don't have to worry about the mint not having your font. I haven't worked with tons of mints and they generally won't say what they've got, but they can open CS2/CS3 files, so if I send them an .AI file with everything expanded, they're generally able to just port the whole thing, capturing fonts and line quality intact.

July 22, 2010

ooooohh.... I love this one! I've always loved wolves as well. Unfortunately I won't get to geocoinfest. :laughing:

July 22, 2010

Wonderful coin!! I look forward to seeing it at Geocoinfest! Hopefully one or more will be going home with me. :laughing:

July 22, 2010

I love it :laughing:

July 22, 2010

Anne, this is lovely. I especially like the serenity of the back.

July 22, 2010

Can I make a few comments...

1. GCF can be used if you don't sell for a profit. Past that you will need to check, I know GW is very tight and seem to be.

2. To give the sky additional depth you could do a few levels of under the blue translucent and maybe even some elements in the sky but I think that would be over kill to my next suggestion.

3. Instead of crystals, I would screen print the stars on the coin in glow. This with the glow mood would be very cool. The moon could be white and green while the stars could glow white or blue. the blue might look good against the translucent blue to make them look like they are in the sky and not on top of the coin.

4. Silver is the plating I would choose, second would be two-tone (silver on the recessed areas and any other plating on the raised).

That is all I have at this time. I hope this all works out.

Mike

2.2k · July 22, 2010

I'm not going to describe this very well, but if you can afford to spring for a 3D die for the back, have the mint make the back so that the background gets lower and lower the higher on the coin you get. That way, when you put translucent over it (especially trans #21), the color will deepen towards the top. The mint might be able to do this with a 2D die, though I'm not sure.

Oh, and everything Mike said. It would be cool if the stars would actually glow along with the moon.

3k · July 22, 2010

I like it already of course, but then we're kinda wild dog fans over here :laughing: I would suggest changing the way you're laying out the text though. Since you're already using illustrator, try putting the text on a curved spline to follow the flow of the wolf's main. It will add to the dimension and keep from breaking up those beautiful curves you have going for you already.

I've seen stars done a number of ways, but in this case I'd say go with the constelation, but try adding a transparent blue glitter enamel in your testers. It sparkles and pops continuously as you turn it in the light much like stars seem to do at night and adds more depth, too.

1k · July 22, 2010

I LOVE this design!!! Can't wait to see what "tweaks" you come up with. I really want one, but will not be able to make the GCF. Will you sell them through a vendor? Or, maybe someone who's going to the Event who has a Pay Pal can help me get one??

The Wolf is my Totem Animal--I'll howl or beg if necessary!!!

Thanks for this amazing work of art!!!

GeoCharmer81 (AKA Kelly)

July 22, 2010

Thanks for that tip Jackalgirl, I was wondering how my mint messed up simple straight lines on my last project. That pretty much explains it now that I think about it! I convert text to outlines but didn't realize other "thick" line shapes could be expanded!

Edited July 22, 2010 by Zelanzy

July 22, 2010

Can I make a few comments...

1. GCF can be used if you don't sell for a profit. Past that you will need to check, I know GW is very tight and seem to be.

For clarification: The use of GCF, Geocoinfest need to be approved by the GCF Committee. Which is being done for this coin.

1.6k · July 22, 2010

After some tweaking. I love the idea of having the background behind the translucent back be rounded so that it creates a gradient.

Still playing around with text placement. :laughing:

More tweaking to do!

2.2k · July 22, 2010

Thanks for that tip Jackalgirl, I was wondering how my mint messed up simple straight lines on my last project. That pretty much explains it now that I think about it! I convert text to outlines but didn't realize other "thick" line shapes could be expanded!

Yup! When you use a brush, Adobe Illustrator really only draws a straight simple path/line, then applies the brush shape to it. If the mint doesn't have the same brush, they won't be able to see your line with the brush applied. They'll always go for just straight, plain lines. But by expanding the brushed line, you make the whole thing into a filled outline. Which the mint /can/ open. : ) The same goes for text: as long as you expand it, you can use any font you want.

Glad to be of help! : )

July 22, 2010

After some tweaking. I love the idea of having the background behind the translucent back be rounded so that it creates a gradient.

Still playing around with text placement.

More tweaking to do!

Move the tracking to the edge and then it won't distract from the design.

Just a suggestion.

1.6k · July 22, 2010

Can they do the tracking things on the edges of shaped coins?

8.8k · July 22, 2010

Hmm... good question.... But you can put the tracking number after the "Track at..." in the next area.. if it can not be placed in the edge! It would be good the tracking number not to be tiny...

many cachers complaining when they see small tracking numbers! I know from the nerd coins... I had one out and before it went missing I had logs talking about the size of the tracking number... and they were right!

Now... any tiny wolf in the design of the night.... on the back standing on the ear of the big wolf.... and singing... like he is on a rock and watching the moon?? :laughing:

Have you tried that? :laughing: maybe it is too much.... right?

It is so lovely!!! :laughing:

8.8k · July 22, 2010

Do you have a name for it?

Like singing wolf or something latin like Lupus....something?

Or something... like Wolf's spirit... in native american

I found it as "Shunkahah Wanagi", in Dacota native american language...

Wolf was a great animal with pouer, mystery... for native americans! wolf is in their culture!

I found something you may like.... :laughing:

http://users.ap.net/~chenae/natwolf.html

1.2k · July 22, 2010

Please make tracking numbers big enough to read without a loope - I was discovering some coins from Geowoodstock8 and I needed a magnifier (loope) for a few of them. Older may be better and wiser but my eyes are failing - but not my heart to discover and love coinage!

July 22, 2010

Can they do the tracking things on the edges of shaped coins?

Some will some won't.

1.7k · July 22, 2010

Please make tracking numbers big enough to read without a loope - I was discovering some coins from Geowoodstock8 and I needed a magnifier (loope) for a few of them. Older may be better and wiser but my eyes are failing - but not my heart to discover and love coinage!

That's why I have a partner who has better eyes than mine. :laughing:

But I do agree. To me there's nothing worse than discovering a coin and not being able to read the TN. If it's in a cache, and my partner isn't with me, I'll just grab it and bring it home.

1.9k · July 23, 2010

Just wanted to join in and say that I really like this coin design. I wonder if I will be able to get one sometime.

2.2k · July 23, 2010

After some tweaking. I love the idea of having the background behind the translucent back be rounded so that it creates a gradient.

Still playing around with text placement.

<snip>

More tweaking to do!

Ooo, that's even better, shading it 'round the moon. Makes the moon look even more luminous. : ) You know, I actually liked the text where it was, as it was; I liked the block of text. I know that some people don't like that, though, so of course in the end it's up to you.

1.6k · July 23, 2010

I took the text off until I get the okay from GCF about whether it can be there or not. I may incorporate the tracking number as part of the text block if I can use it. :laughing:

gato: working name is Wolf Song. :laughing: I decided against putting a small wolf on the back (for now) as I like the entire scene to be taken as a whole, instead of putting other things in the "sky".

Metals: Currently thinking black nickel for the silhouette effect (obviously with the black nickel plating added after enamel) although silver could be interesting!

1.6k · July 23, 2010

As for the size of the tracking number, I made it "big" in Illustrator, but in resizing I see it's TINY now. I'll definitely work with it to make it readable.

3k · July 23, 2010

hmmm.... if you're doing a black nickel coin then I don't think you'll be able to do a trans blue and get the lighter blue colors you're going for here in the illustrations. I really like the idea, but unless it's a two-tone as well this might not work as is. I do remember Yime pulled it off using a two-tone though a couple years ago.

1.7k · July 23, 2010

As for the size of the tracking number, I made it "big" in Illustrator, but in resizing I see it's TINY now. I'll definitely work with it to make it readable.

Thank you.....

Now all I need is to be able to get one without going to GCF. :laughing:

1.6k · July 23, 2010

hmmm.... if you're doing a black nickel coin then I don't think you'll be able to do a trans blue and get the lighter blue colors you're going for here in the illustrations. I really like the idea, but unless it's a two-tone as well this might not work as is. I do remember Yime pulled it off using a two-tone though a couple years ago.

From what I understand, it depends on the mint. If they apply the black nickel finish before the IHE is applied, you get mud. If they apply it afterwards, then the translucent enamel is put over the bronze base, and you get the bright colors.

For instance, Portugal's 10 years! event coin was done with black nickel and the translucent colors are just as bright as on any other coin:

2.2k · July 23, 2010

Yup, that's true, at least in the case of one mint I know. So you gotta ask.

However, do note: if you plan to use translucent soft enamel (as opposed to imitation hard enamel, or "soft-cloisonne"), definitely ask. The process I have has the soft enamel applied after plating, so translucent enamels would definitely show up as mud on antique/black nickel plating in that case.

This design, even if the one side uses 3D, should work fine with IHE because the top level of the coin will end up being fully filled and flat (and so the mint should have any trouble stoning [polishing] the IHE down).

3k · July 23, 2010

hmmm.... if you're doing a black nickel coin then I don't think you'll be able to do a trans blue and get the lighter blue colors you're going for here in the illustrations. I really like the idea, but unless it's a two-tone as well this might not work as is. I do remember Yime pulled it off using a two-tone though a couple years ago.

From what I understand, it depends on the mint. If they apply the black nickel finish before the IHE is applied, you get mud. If they apply it afterwards, then the translucent enamel is put over the bronze base, and you get the bright colors.

For instance, Portugal's 10 years! event coin was done with black nickel and the translucent colors are just as bright as on any other coin:

Wow!, that just opened up a whole new realm of possibilities including a coin I'm working on right now! Thanks for the info :laughing:

8.8k · July 23, 2010

I took the text off until I get the okay from GCF about whether it can be there or not. I may incorporate the tracking number as part of the text block if I can use it.

gato: working name is Wolf Song. I decided against putting a small wolf on the back (for now) as I like the entire scene to be taken as a whole, instead of putting other things in the "sky".

Metals: Currently thinking black nickel for the silhouette effect (obviously with the black nickel plating added after enamel) although silver could be interesting!

wolf song! :blink: I like it! I thought it was not the name but what the coin was showing! :blink:

...the entire scene to be taken as a whole...... YES!!! WOW!! I haven't thought of that!!! WOW!! :lol:

I love it!!!

1.6k · July 23, 2010

I got the OK to use geocoinfest on the coin, so now I just need to do some text tweaking. :laughing:

Man I wish I could just design coins for a living!

3k · July 24, 2010

I got the OK to use geocoinfest on the coin, so now I just need to do some text tweaking.

Man I wish I could just design coins for a living!

You can, but you just have to be willing to have a rather meager living!

Looking forward to seeing your next update

NEW COIN: wolf song

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