Product Mockup & Packaging Design
Medium: Traditional Ink Illustration + Digital Mockup
Tools Used: Pen & Ink, Adobe Photoshop
Award: Winner, AIGA PGH 365 (2025) – Packaging Design (Student Category)
Tools Used: Pen & Ink, Adobe Photoshop
Award: Winner, AIGA PGH 365 (2025) – Packaging Design (Student Category)
Overview:
ReaperFuel is a concept energy drink brand born from a desire to merge gritty, hand-drawn illustration with sleek product packaging. This fictional brand embodies high-octane energy with a bold, rebellious aesthetic, blending traditional and digital design techniques to create a visually impactful final product.
ReaperFuel is a concept energy drink brand born from a desire to merge gritty, hand-drawn illustration with sleek product packaging. This fictional brand embodies high-octane energy with a bold, rebellious aesthetic, blending traditional and digital design techniques to create a visually impactful final product.
Methodology:
The creative process began with meticulous pen and ink illustrations—each line drawn by hand to evoke a raw, visceral feel appropriate for the brand’s identity. Once the traditional work was complete, the illustrations were digitized and incorporated into a full can design using Adobe Photoshop.
The creative process began with meticulous pen and ink illustrations—each line drawn by hand to evoke a raw, visceral feel appropriate for the brand’s identity. Once the traditional work was complete, the illustrations were digitized and incorporated into a full can design using Adobe Photoshop.
Rather than relying on pre-existing mockup templates, I designed and built the entire product mockup from scratch. This allowed me full creative control over lighting, texture, and form, ensuring that every detail—from the gloss on the can to the shadows around the label—reflected the essence of ReaperFuel’s gritty, high-energy brand.
This project was awarded first place in the AIGA Pittsburgh 365 2025 competition in the Packaging Design – Student category, highlighting the strength of merging analog techniques with digital execution in modern branding.
