Final Project!! Dust line Supply Co
From Sketch to Product: Designing Dustline Supply Co.
For my final project, I wanted to create something that actually felt like a real brand instead of just a random design. I’ve always liked desert-style visuals—cactus, open space, roads, and that western look so I decided to build a small clothing concept around that idea. That’s how Dustline Supply Co. came together.
This post shows my process from the first sketch all the way to the final shirt and tote bag designs.
Inspiration & First Ideas
I started by sketching out rough ideas in my notebook. I knew I wanted two main things:
- A detailed cactus design for the shirt
- A simple road design for the tote bag
For the shirt, I planned a large back graphic with a cactus using line work and shading. For the front, I wanted to keep it simple with just the brand name.
For the tote bag, I had the idea of a road going through the desert. I wanted it to feel minimal but still eye-catching so it would stand out.
Developing the Main Graphic
I then focused on drawing the cactus design more clearly. I added small details like:
- Spikes and texture on the cactus
- A sun in the background
- Mountains and desert lines to give it depth
This part was important because it became the main visual for the whole brand. I tried to keep it detailed but not too complicated so it would still work well on clothing.
Digitizing in Photoshop
After finishing the sketch, I brought it into Photoshop to clean it up.
First, I adjusted the contrast and cleaned up the lines so the drawing looked more crisp. Then I refined the line work so it looked more like a finished graphic instead of a pencil sketch.
I wanted to keep the hand-drawn look, but make it clean enough for printing.
Adding Typography & Finalizing the Design
Once the illustration was done, I added the brand name:
Dustline Supply Co.
I placed it under the cactus and added “Desert Grown” as a smaller detail to match the theme.
I chose a handwritten-style font so it matched the rough, western feel of the drawing instead of looking too modern or perfect.
Creating the Full Product Designs
After finishing the main graphic, I applied it to actual products.
For the t-shirt:
- Front: small chest logo with the brand name
- Back: large cactus design
For the tote bag:
- I used the road concept from my sketch
- Added the brand name above it
- Kept the design simple so it’s clean and easy to recognize
The road represents movement and travel, while the cactus represents the desert identity of the brand.
Color Choices
I also created a color palette to match the desert theme.
The main colors I chose were:
- Charcoal (for shirts)
- Crimson and burnt orange (for accents)
- Desert tan and off-white (for neutral tones)
These colors all connect back to the desert environment and help keep the brand consistent.
Final Product Setup
At the end, I tested how the design would actually look on a real product using an online mockup tool.
This helped me see placement, size, and how the design fits within printing boundaries.
Reflection
This project helped me understand how to take an idea from a simple sketch and turn it into something that looks like a real product.
I learned how to:
- Clean up hand-drawn artwork in Photoshop
- Think about placement on clothing
- Keep designs consistent across multiple items
- Build a brand instead of just making one design
If I were to improve this, I would experiment with more variations of the logo and maybe try different color versions of the shirt.
Overall, I’m happy with how Dustline Supply Co. turned out, especially how the cactus and road designs connect into one theme. I eventually want to buy a screen-printing kit and screen print my logo onto a shirt, even though the class will be over when this happens, I will post it on this blog if anyone wants to checkup!!
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