Get the Look American Southwest
Want your design to scream American Southwest, cowboy, or old saloon? Look no further. This is the perfect graphics template for you.
Download the Guides
Download American Southwest Part 1 / Colors and Fonts / 57 kb
Download American Southwest Part 2 / Techniques and Wrap-up / 146 kb
Colors
Western colors are often ‘browned down,’ and look almost toasted. Although many Western colors are very dark, you don’t have to work with a dull palette. Throw in some sunny colors as accents to add some spice — colors that contrast a lot are good for getting that Southwest look. Look to Spanish palettes to spur you on to more ideas (no pun intended!).
Fonts
Western fonts often have rough edges or large serifs, so keep an eye out for those. Some typefaces have an obvious Old West feel, but don’t forget those that say ‘New West.’ Play around with some of the fonts in the template. For example, Spanky’s Bungalow comes with a number of different characters to achieve that ’sign’ look.
Techniques
1. Old, burnt paper
To achieve this look I began by drawing a shape with a few zigzagged edges. I applied an inner glow, using a dark brown, to make the edges look old and burnt. I also applied a very slight texture to add to the old effect, and finished it with a hard-edged drop shadow. Be sure not to use bright white for the paper, as that will make it look too new.
2. Nailed wooden planks
These were very easy to create in Fireworks, and they have that great, Old West look. I began by drawing three fairly simple shapes that nearly fit together. I used the satin fill so that they weren’t solid in color throughout, and applied a very slight confetti texture so that they would look more like a worn piece of wood. I finished the planks with small inner bevels, for depth, and soft drop shadows to make them pop out. For the nails, I simply drew a circle and gave it a radial fill, before adding a small inner bevel to finish them up.
3. Avoid anti-aliased text
This simple effect will give your text an older, rougher look.
4. Old rope
In Fireworks, I drew a shape similar to the one that represents a hurricane on the weather report! A circle with two little tails, you might say. To this I added a soft inner glow and a smooth inner bevel. I simply made many copies of the shape and fit them together into a long line, but don’t forget to experiment with colors and shapes!
5. Carved wood
For this effect, begin with a piece of text or a shape. Fill your object with a color slightly darker than that of the wood that you’re going to ‘carve into’, and make sure that your shape isn’t anti-aliased. To finish the look, apply an inset emboss with the softness set to ‘0′.
If you use a program other than Fireworks, try adding two shadows: a dark inner shadow and a lighter drop shadow, and make sure that the shadows are on opposite ends of your object. If this doesn’t work, consult your favorite tutorial site on how to get an inset embossed look.
6. Zigzags
This is a very popular Western element of design. Think of Spanish rugs or a bag of ‘Tostitos’ chips. Use a variety of colors to spice them up!
7. Cow print
What can I say? It just screams Southwest!
Putting It All Together
I combined most of the techniques here to create a pretty cool Southwestern sign. I put nails in the corners of the old, burnt paper, to make it look like it’s nailed to the wood board. Some little doodles (^) are carved into the wood and the whole thing is hung from a wood plank with rope. To make the holes for the rope, I drew two white circles and gave them an inset emboss. The text was angled to give it a rough look. See what you can come up with!
Get the Look
One of the most difficult aspects of designing is taking that first step: when you know what style you would like to achieve, but you just don’t know where to start. We’ve all been there at one time or another, thinking to ourselves “what colors should I use,” “what fonts would work best,” and “what are some elements of the style I want?”
Well, look no further. I have put together a wide range of “Get the Look” design guides that include everything you need to help jump-start your new design project, whether it be a touch of inspiration or the perfect font. So wait no longer — come on in and take a look… literally! Be on the lookout for new additions to the series.
By the way, I’ve downloaded the fonts that appear in the following guides from a number of places across the web. You should be able to find them simply by searching Google.
Grab a Look and Have Some Fun
Chic Simplicity Published July 2003
Chic simplicity. What exactly is chic simplicity, you ask? It is somewhat of an oxymoron: simple yet sophisticated. The design exudes simplicity through its forms, fonts, and layout, and sophistication through its textures, details, and tastefulness. It’s a fantastic look that can be used for almost every genre of websites: a professional, yet hip, corporate site; a stylish, yet clean, commercial site; or just a fun and colorful personal site. Whichever style you’re going for, this look will fit.
UltraHip Published May 2002
Sometimes you want your design to be vibrant, to scream. UltraHip is just the look. It is very sleek and ultra contemporary. Think posh night clubs in Los Angeles, Paris, or New York City — vivid colors set off by charcoal grays, combining to form atmospheres that encourage dancing, partying, and lots of fun. Use this look to bring a personal site or blog to life, or for a hip corporation whose target audience is of a younger age group. Have fun with this one!
Corporate Published March 2002
OK, get out the big guns: you want to design a professional, corporate, expensive look. This graphics template will help you get started.
American Southwest Published November 2001
Want your design to scream American Southwest, cowboy, or old saloon? Look no further: this is the perfect graphics template for you.
Vintage Published November 2001
Want the secrets to the old-fashioned diner, vintage, retro look? Well then, you’ve come to the right spot.