Design for a friends 40th birthday

[Dawie]

I have a friend who is crazy about cheetahs, whenever a nickname is required she uses cheetahgirl. She turns 40 in december. As I was fiddling first in Inkscape and later in photoplus, I came up with this. What do you guys think. Suggestions welcome.
David.

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[GrayBeard]

David...silhouette is great.
My personal choice would be a more feminine type face, larger in size.I'm not being sarcastic but from a design standpoint that typeface is like something you would find on an oil can. I would 'frill' it up a bit.

Hey, you asked for opinions!

~~~GrayBeard~~~

[cherie]

Dawie, I am with Ed on this.  Add a little more femininity to the cat and italicize the lettering some. Other than that, I think its great...one more thing, and I guess I am wrong here, but doesn't a cheetah have spots?  If it was my project, I would try and add some of those just to make it look better.  Even if it meant gluing the spots down.  That is just my opinion though. 
Other than that, frill it up like Ed says.

[sp_343]

When you cut the black parts out...won't the lettering fall out?  Or are you going to glue those back into place?

[GrayBeard]

I just had another thought! I feel it would be great if you could incorporate the "crying eyes" of the species. It makes them stand out from the other cats so much.

~~~GrayBeard~~~

[Dawie]

Thanks everybody. You have given me something to think on and I like your ideas. Will have to work on it next week as she is on here way here now with my nephew and she is staying over. That's whats so great about our forum you can brainstorm longdistance just with the push of a button. Where were we before internet? For one I would not have met alll you wonderful people on this forum.
David

[Dawie]

Forgot to answer your q sp. Was planning on cutting the lettering out of the body so leave the black and cut the white.
David

[northie66]

I think I would use her real name... and incorporate the cheetah.  I attached what I'd do using my name... since you didn't give her name.



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[Dawie]

That does look nice Janet. I am still playing around with another idea. She went to South africa 2 years ago and I know she has a photo of herself sitting next to or behind a cheetah, my nephew is going to try to get that photo for me, as he went with her on that holiday it will be less obvious if he asks for the cd with the photo's. Then want to try and make a pattern from the photo. If not I will try out the different ideas here. Thanks so far everybody.
David.

[jimbo]

Cheetahs have skinny gut that one looks pregnant, perhaps arunning cat would look beeter
Jimbo

[Dawie]

You right jimbo, the one Janet shows looks more the part.
David

[northie66]

The one I used is missing a little detail though like ears, etc.

[Dawie]

That's true Janet, but I am sure I can get on with more detail, have a book with two patterns in it which I could scan in and see if I could make something personal. But the running one I think is a good idea.
David

[jimbo]

cats lay thier ears back when running full speed
Jimbo

[Dawie]

That's also true Jimbo, besides being great with wood you even teach us a bit of biology.
David